LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Teaching jobs stay open in Kentucky for months. Educators are leaving the profession, blaming pay, politics and problems with behaviors. However, one Louisville educator plans to stay on the job for a long time, and even caught Disney's attention in doing so.
Every hour, Johnson Traditional Middle School (JTMS) students rush to Nick Claussen's choir class.
Attendance is first. Music is second.
"I think I've cried in this class like six or seven times, because anytime I hear them sing, it's very special," Claussen said.
Claussen makes personal connections with each of his students.
"He like pushed me through what I need to do in life. I don't get behind and stuff," seventh grader Jashaun Brown said.
"Even if like kids, they be silly sometimes, but he understands us," Mckenzie Keith said.
Students in Nick Claussen's choir class at Johnson Traditional Middle School.
It comes at a time when his peers are leaving the profession. Many of them are quitting or retiring with not enough graduates to replace them. Kentucky shows about 2,000 classroom teaching positions open. Some jobs stay unfilled for months.
"There are moments that are difficult. Everyone knows that. Everyone that knows anything about teaching, but there is nothing like hearing from a kid that you are impacting their life in a positive way," Claussen said. "When I hear a kid tell me that they're thankful for me or even the small things when I see them smile in class, and I know that I'm positively affecting them. There's nothing like that in the world."
Last week, Claussen was away from his students. That's because Disney selected him to participate in a celebratory, teacher appreciation weekend. He was the only educator representing Kentucky in the Disney's Imagination Campus' event. The weekend at the California theme park was Disney's way of saying thanks to great teachers.
Claussen was one of a hundred selected out of nearly 8,000 applicants. The 100 elementary, middle, and high school teachers came from 39 different states.
"It's crazy. When I applied for it, just kind of on a whim, I was like this would be so cool. Why not apply for it? And then, when I found out that I was the only teacher from Kentucky, I felt a lot of things. There are so many other teachers that deserve this especially more than me," Claussen said.
"I'm happy that he got to enjoy himself," Keith said.
JCPS teacher Nick Claussen, who teaches choir at Johnson Traditional Middle School, at Disney in California. (Nick Claussen photo)
"We'll miss him," Brown said.
As this school year draws to a close, Claussen is ending it on high note.
"I really do think that there's not a job in the world that's more rewarding than this. No teachers in here for the pay. No teachers here for any other reason. We're here because we want to impact kids," Claussen said.
It's Claussen's first year teaching. He teaches 85 Jefferson County Public Schools' students. Claussen also plans field trips for them, where they have the opportunity to perform at places like nearby nursing homes.
Their next public concert is on May 18 at 7 p.m. at Johnson Traditional Middle School. The school is located at 2509 Wilson Avenue in Louisville. They will be performing some Disney tunes, including some songs from "The Lion King."
"I try to pick music that is challenging to them that will also teach them something, but with it being our last concert, I try to choose a topic that everyone knows, everyone can relate to," Claussen said.
Claussen grew up in Jefferson County himself. He attended Farnsley Middle School, Wilkerson Elementary School, and duPont Manual High School. He then attended the School of Music at the University of Louisville.
For a list of all teachers selected to participate in the Disney Imagination Campus 100 Teachers Event, click here.
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12.
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